Adidas-Salomon Units Say K2 Infringed Binding Patent
7/7/99

Wilmington, Delaware, July 7 -- Two units of Adidas-Salomon AG, the world's No. 2 sporting goods manufacturer, accused a unit of rival K2 Inc., the top U.S. ski maker, of infringing its patent for snowboard bindings.

In a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Wilmington, France's Salomon SA and Georgetown, Massachusetts-based Salomon North America Inc. say Vashon, Washington-based K-2 Corp. is using their invention, patented in 1997, for adjustable bindings that are less cumbersome than earlier models, enhance control and can be used with a wide variety of boots.

The suit says K2's line of bindings copies Salomon technology, and should not be made or sold in the U.S.

"The Salomon plaintiffs have been damaged (and) will continue to be irreparably harmed" unless K2's infringement is stopped, according to the suit, which asks a judge to award legal fees and damages based on reasonable royalties.

K2 spokesman Darren Jones said the allegations are "a little bit ridiculous," since his company has been making the bindings since 1993 and the Salomon patent was awarded in 1997.

Shares of Los Angeles-based K2 Inc. rose 1/16 to 9 11/16. Shares of Herzogenaurach, Germany-based Adidas-Salomon rose 0.05 euro to 93.50 in Frankfurt.

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